Buono Stands Up for His Players

[WestCoastJoe]

Lions coach stands up for penalized players

Lyndon Little, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, September 24, 2007

While continuing to defend his players, B.C. Lions' head coach and GM Wally Buono said Monday he's content to allow the Canadian Football League determine whether any supplementary disciplinary action is required from last Saturday's scuffle in Regina.

During the 37-34 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Lions had one player ejected and another receive a rough play flag in a late first-half brouhaha over what the team felt was unnecessary rough treatment of quarterback Jarious Jackson.

During the ruckus, B.C. guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli, who maintains he was coming to the aid of his quarterback, appeared to knee and punch an unidentified Saskatchewan player. As well, tackle Rob Murphy drew a roughing major for pinning 'Rider defensive end John Chick to the turf. Saskatchewan defensive tackle Scott Schultz was also penalized for a major foul.

Buono says he doesn't condone the outbreak of non-football hostilities but believes his players acted to protect a teammate.

"I wasn't happy with the brawl," he said during an off-day for the players.

"But we're not going to back down. When one of our players is on the ground and in trouble our guys are going to come his defence.

"I would expect Saskatchewan players would do the same thing."

Roughrider GM Eric Tillman has sent tapes of the incident to league headquarters.

"Our guys played hard," added Buono.

"They're fighting for each other. I don't feel suspensions are warranted, but that's up to the league."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... 13&k=40894

[WestCoastJoe]

I am getting very annoyed at the CFL's directors of officiating (George Black?).

If Otis Floyd or Jamall Johnson did a rocket launch at a QB, hitting them in the upper chest with their helmet first, they would get penalized and suspended. The penalties would be even more harsh if the QB was Ricky Ray or Kerry Joseph.

If Fred Perry or Kitwana Jones launch themselves like heat-seeking missiles, leave their feet, lead with their helmets, make contact with their helmets first on a Lions QB (read: Dave D or Jarious J) it is not penalized by the league even if the Riders GM says in the media it warranted a penalty.

Well eventually the worm will turn. It always does, even if it takes a long time. The Riders can't be given preferential treatment forever, can they? Maybe it is because they are the "weak franchise" of the league and haven't won a Grey Cup in recent memory (prior to the advent of computers in the modern age).

Whatever, it is bull sheeit. Call the dayum game the same for all teams, even the weak franchises.

[rb]

Jones did not leave his feet. I also didn't see any particular spear with the helmet. If you take that kind of hit out of the game... might as well start watching soccer.

None of the Lions' players went after Jones. And they're not accusing him of a dirty hit.

[cromartie]

Jones did not leave his feet. I also didn't see any particular spear with the helmet. If you take that kind of hit out of the game... might as well start watching soccer.

None of the Lions' players went after Jones. And they're not accusing him of a dirty hit.

Leading with the crown of your helmet is :no:

[WestCoastJoe]

A lot of us have actually looked at the rules and posted them online. You cannot make contact with the helmet first on the QB, whether in the pocket or not, or duck your head, or lead with your head.

Unless you play for the Riders, it seems.

And the Riders fans never bother to post what they see in the rules. It is easier for them just to say: "Oh that is football."

Well, say that when Kerry Joseph gets knocked out by an illegal head shot.

"any particular spear"

... he makes contact with the helmet to the upper chest with the helmet first. That is spearing. Helmet first. Body in projectile attitude. Spearing.

[stansz]

i cant believe some of the fans (non bc) have the guts to call out bc palyers and calling them dirty

wat? the riders were just lying there and somehow murphys helmet fell off ?? o and after the whistle the liosn players all pushed them into their own qb??

come on...this goes both ways non of this woulda happened if the riders didnt start it

[WestCoastJoe]

Lion backers protecting QB

Murphy, Haji-Rasouli say they'll defend their third-string pivot

Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun

Published: Monday, September 24, 2007

They went to a football game Saturday night and a hockey fight broke out.

It was like an out-of-control scene from the comedy-drama Slap Shot: B.C. Lions left tackle Rob Murphy -- Ohio State high school hockey's all-time penalty minutes leader -- was straddling a prostrate John Chick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, one hand near Chick's throat and the other cocked to deliver a blow.

The difference is Slap Shot is hilariously profane art. Real life violence, in which players make up their own rules, instead turned Roughrider GM Eric Tillman to apoplexy.

After expressing his outrage to reporters at the brawling scene below, Tillman turned on Lions head coach Wally Buono moments after B.C.'s 37-34 win, approaching Buono on the field and casting blame at his feet.

"My respect for Wally Buono is well documented," Tillman said. "But the Lions are too well-coached, too good an organization to condone that borderline behaviour. What went on is a reflection of him. Wally continues to turn a blind eye. The film [videotape] will be sent to the league."

Murphy and Lions guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli, who threw punches and kneed players in a scrum of flailing bodies, maintain they were trying to protect quarterback Jarious Jackson. Jackson was dog-piled near the end of the first half after being sacked, with Chick and Scott Schultz prominent among the combatants.

"We're down to our third-string quarterback, and he was getting pummelled," Haji-Rasouli explained. "We had to make a statement. If we have to go beyond the whistle to protect Jarious, we'll go beyond the whistle."

Chick, whose wife is expecting, dressed, left quickly and was unavailable for comment later. And Schultz, whose helmet got tossed by Haji-Rasouli, refused to discuss his part in the brawl.

As for Murphy, he was being castigated yet again for his "dirty play," only a day after the Roughriders Fred Perry and Marcus Adams told The Vancouver Sun that the controversial tackle was being maligned unfairly.

"The whistle had blown, and I saw two guys pumping our quarterback, still going at him," Murphy said. "I took Chick, gently placed him off the pile and pinned him down. I mean, we're on our third-string quarterback. We're not going to allow stuff like that to happen."

It was not a shining moment for the CFL's image -- or its officials, who looked unsure about what to do, then ejected Lions rookie Cory Rodgers, one of the least culpable participants.

"I ran in to protect him [Jackson]," Rodgers told the Regina Leader-Post. "I was pulling guys off to make sure he was okay. Five minutes later, I found out I was ejected. I asked what I did, but they never gave me a response."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... d38cd0df7b

[WestCoastJoe]

After expressing his outrage to reporters at the brawling scene below, Tillman turned on Lions head coach Wally Buono moments after B.C.'s 37-34 win, approaching Buono on the field and casting blame at his feet.

"My respect for Wally Buono is well documented," Tillman said. "But the Lions are too well-coached, too good an organization to condone that borderline behaviour. What went on is a reflection of him. Wally continues to turn a blind eye. The film [videotape] will be sent to the league."

Tillman is truly showing himself as a yappy little piss ant.

Cal Murphy really nailed him with that moniker a few years ago.

[WestCoastJoe]

"We're down to our third-string quarterback, and he was getting pummelled," Haji-Rasouli explained. "We had to make a statement. If we have to go beyond the whistle to protect Jarious, we'll go beyond the whistle."

WestCoastJoe = Fan of Sherko

[WestCoastJoe]

Chick, whose wife is expecting, dressed, left quickly and was unavailable for comment later. And Schultz, whose helmet got tossed by Haji-Rasouli, refused to discuss his part in the brawl.

Run and hide. If you want the protection from the league that you are used to getting, it is best to avoid saying anything to the media.

Smart move.

Cowardly, but smart.

[WestCoastJoe]

As for Murphy, he was being castigated yet again for his "dirty play," only a day after the Roughriders Fred Perry and Marcus Adams told The Vancouver Sun that the controversial tackle was being maligned unfairly.

"The whistle had blown, and I saw two guys pumping our quarterback, still going at him," Murphy said. "I took Chick, gently placed him off the pile and pinned him down. I mean, we're on our third-string quarterback. We're not going to allow stuff like that to happen."

Rock on, Murphy

[Belize City Lion]

The whole incident has little or nothing to do with Jones. The fact that is 2 additional Riders piled on JJ after he was already down, and then continued to pound on him and that is what caused the ruckus to break out.

Yes, Sherko went too far, and maybe Murph gave Schultz a bit of the business, but the genesis of the entire event should have resulted in at least 2 uneccessary roughness and 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Riders. If the refs had flagged those infractions probably nothing else would have transpired and if it still did then all this criticism of the Lions would be a bit more deserved.

[Solar Max]

If it is indeed true that Joe Paopao actually engineered a coup in Ottawa after GC '04 to oust Tillman, as Tillman stated to some of us at 'GC 05, then I have not given Paopao enough credit.

I don't think Joe is capable of that, though. Tillman just probably beaked himself out of the job in Ottawa.

[Tighthead]

I heard Wally on Ball's show today. The man is showing zero backdown, and the players have to love it. I think that it is outstanding. This is the stretch drive, and will only serve to galvanize the troops.

The Lions dont give a @#$% what Eric Tillman or anyone else thinks and they will take scalps if necessary.

[Lionheart]

This is no doubt one tight nit group. Wally standing up like he is is only making things better. This team is ready to battle and have na intangable that is hard to combat.

Belize City Lion is bang on in my opinion. What the hell are riders allowed to pile on the qb for? I heard some idiot of a rider fan today on the team say that the ball was fair game and they were only doing what they were supposed to do.. I guess if your head is up your ass.